Decisions
by Queen of Tortall
Summary: How Winnie finally came to make her decision. Movie version.


**Decisions **

She sat in the twilight, tears pouring down her face as the brilliant colors of the sunset faded into the sun itself, a red, pulsating ball.? Just outside her view, blurred by tears and the farness of it, was the woods. Where she lived, breathed, slept. Where she belonged.

Now, as Winnie looked at the tiny glass vial in her hand, she wondered if it was wrong to want everlasting life, to want to be with your true love? Or was the right path, her path, to know that everything has a price, that living forever is not truly living. To know everyone had to die sometime. To know that if she took even a sip of that water, she never would.

As she stared at the vial, images started to form, carrying her into the world of memories.

Winnie Foster lay on the soft green grass, still wet and shining like emeralds from the morning's dew. She could smell the heavenly scent of the honeysuckles near by, "God's gift of true nectar", as the Treegap villagers called it. It was like heaven.

A gloriously handsome boy knelt by the spring, splashing his face with the water, then drinking it. She stood behind a tree, silently watching. "Who are you?" he suddenly asked. "You'd better come out."

A tinkling melody played, soothing, yet brisk and merry at the same time. Winnie saw that roses and lilies of the valley were delicately painted on the from, making a pretty picture. It washed away her tears and calmed her hysterics at being kidnapped and brought away from home.

The water was comfortingly cold on the summer day, bubbling with the impact of the waterfall. Even though she did not know how to swim, Winnie held onto Jesse Tuck for dear life. Then she knew that they were meant for each other.

Then, as they were drying off, they heard a wild animal. "They're singing for you, " Jesses said with a smile. Then he tapped out a strong beat. Feeling it calling to her, Winnie got her feet and started dancing. She had never been allowed to dance anything but waltzes required for a lady of her station to know at home. This was different, more... exotic. She could feel Jesse's eyes on her. They came closer, dancing with each other. Coming so close that their noses touched, they kissed.

Tuck rowed steadily, his hands on the oars but his eyes were on Winnie. "Look around you, it's life. The flowers, and trees, and frogs, it's all part of the wheel. It's always changing. It's always growing. Like you, Winnie, your life is never the same. You were once a child, now you are about to become a woman. One day you'll grow up. You'll do something important. You'll have children maybe, and then one day you'll go out. Just like the flame of a candle. You'll make way for new life as a certainty. It's the natural way of things. And then, there's us. What we Tucks have, you can't call it living. We just are. We're like rocks stuck at the side of the stream. Listen to me, Winnie, you know a dangerous secret. If people find out about the spring, they'll trample over each other to get that water. There's one thing I've learned about people: Many people will do anything. Anything not to die. And they'll do anything to keep from living their life. Do you want to stay stuck as you are right now, forever? I just want to make you understand."

"But.. I don't want to die. Is that wrong?" Winnie asked uncertainly."No human does," he answered. "But it's part of the wheel, the same as being born. You can't have living without dying. Don't be afraid of death, Winnie. Be afraid of the unlived life."

Those last words echoed in her mind as she snapped back to reality, finding that the little glass vial had come perilously close to her rosebud lips. Sighing, she uncorked the vial, and looked at the chartreuse toad looking questioningly up at her. "Here," she murmured, and poured the water onto the toad. There. He would live, and have as many adventures a toad could possibly want. He deserved that much. And, she thought, there's always the spring if I find that I _do_ want the water.

But she never would.


End file.
